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Camping with Toddlers

A few weeks ago, I camped with my two year old son alone for the first time. It was a very special trip for us.

I think raising your children to love nature is one of the most important lessons we can give them. Which leads me to camping. Camping is so important – to fully immerse yourself in it is the best way to learn anything. So we went camping together, just the two of us, for 5 days at Devil’s Lake State Park.

My two year old son, Liam, and me

I have many years of camping experience. I have been camping with my family in Tennessee and all around Michigan, where I grew up. Some of my best memories are in these trips, so I feel it’s wonderful to share these experiences with my son and teach him how to get dirty, how to play in a river, the fun of finding fish and swimming, throwing rocks and making big splashes, going on long hikes and cuddling up around a fire afterwards…

The following is a list and menu of what we will be making together in our five days. I want to keep meals simple so we can play and/or be prepared for any 2 year old moments that may require more attention. ;) We are also lactose intolerant and eat mostly vegan. I have also learned from experience that cooking with children can be tricky, so keep it simple. The easier cooking can be when you have children and are camping, the better (and saner) you will be. And I have limited space. So meals are easy and there are some repeats in ingredients.

Bring a backpack for the kids when hiking or going on walks to collect special items around you – take the time to look at them, identify them, and say why they are special and essential in nature

EXPLORE!

Bring coloring books or activity books for your child to play with when you are doing things (like cursing under your breath when you’re trying to set up the tent!)

Give them jobs, not just as things to “help” with, but things to really help with. They are an equal and valued member of the family – they can and should help. Let them clear the table, collect sticks, set up the tee-pee for the fire, let them unroll the tent, set up their own sleeping bag and pillow. Or give them their own sized items, like a flashlight and magnifying glass perfect size for their smaller hands so they can explore the area around them

Mason jars to catch fireflies or caterpillars

Bubbles

Kites

Bikes!

Simple maps to teach them directions and what a map looks like

Walkie talkies are fun and it can be a fun activity when you are doing something and they are “hiding” in the tent.

Flashlights are also good for shadow play and late night walks to the bathroom

Play I Spy

Find Footprints

Play a camping ABC game – find things that begin with the letter (S is for sleeping bag, U is for Under the Stars)

Connect the dots with constellations

Thoughts before you go:

Liam pretending to camp in the living room

Reeeaaaallllly talk up camping. Set up the tent in the backyard and sleep in it! Read books! Talk about all the fun you’ll have before you go! Smores, finding bugs and mud puddles, – make it something that they look forward to!

For your first few trips, select a campsite that has activities that match their interests. Many state parks have lakes, playgrounds, or trails that make it fun and easy. Also, select a site at the campground that is smart – not too close to the store with busy traffic day and night, not too close to the river so you don’t have panic attacks while you’re setting up the tent by yourself and wondering where your toddler might be, not too far away from the bathroom because you will be walking with them every time you or they need to go.

Avoid bringing toys or activities that are hard to clean up… a puzzle would be silly. Also, try to avoid things that distract them from the beauty around them. I don’t believe in bringing mini-dvd players when you are camping – there is FAR too much to explore!

Give them time to be bored – they will discover more!

Yes, I just said let them be bored, but don’t be an idiot. When you have to be busy setting up the tent or doing something where you are occupied and more importantly can’t keep the best eye on them have things that they can do. Coloring books, new game, etc.

Use your trip as a time to get closer with each other… there’s no tv, computer, bills to pay, house to clean, or video games so you have to talk and play games with each other. You can connect. Pay attention to the little moments. Feel lucky for this time.

Make it a teaching trip – one that teaches responsibility, helps the family, and is magical. There are so many beautiful and amazing experiences you can share as a family. It’s also a trip where you have to do a lot, but they can also help . Let them pack a backpack before you leave for a hike. My son could pack more than Diana Ross… Help your kids understand that whatever they pack (snack, animals, books, toys, rocks, dolls, flashlights, maps, etc) they are responsible for…Because Lord knows we do not need to bring every horse and ball that we own. You will not carry it, no matter how tired or heavy it is. They will learn a lot faster that way. They will also learn what is helpful to bring.

Remember, sometimes camping is hard. If it’s raining the whole time or your baby is screaming and waking up the whole campground…whatever…don’t let it get you down. Finish your trip (even if that means packing up in a thunderstorm at 3am), and go home. Build up and remember the truly amazing moments. Try again. It’s worth it.

Pump it Up

When you get home, print out any pictures you took during the trip and make a little book of your adventure together that you can read before bedtime or before your next camping trip. You can make it together with the pictures that you took, the leaves that you found, maybe even a few samples of sand or dirt! Don’t forget to write stories. You could write about your process of camping – first we get to the campsite (wow, how nice!), then we set up the tent, etc. or you can write about what you did (caught fireflies, swam, smores, etc) This will keep the “fun” of camping in their heads. It will also be a great keepsake🙂

The Result:

We stayed for all five days!

We went horseback riding, had picnics, made campfires every night, heard raindrops on the tent as we fell asleep, built sandcastles and smores, swam at the beach, and left with beautiful memories.

Liam's first hike!

Building sandcastles

Liam didn’t stop running the whole time, and it was great! He learned how to build a fire, collect the right sticks for roasting marshmallows, how to climb and hike, and perfected his technique of getting completely soaked in the mud. He helped me make sandwiches for our picnic, clear the table and trash, and kept our site clean. I am so proud of him and so happy that we could go! I can’t wait for our trip later this summer when we go to the Point Beach State Park in beautiful Door County!

I’m planning a camping trip with my soon-to-be 4 year old, and was starting to wonder if it might not be such a good idea. Knowing that another mom has pulled off mother-son camping with a little one is a huge relief. I’m excited about my own trip once again!🙂

WOW! Thank you SO much for taking the time to post this and share! My little man will be 2 this spring and I have been on the fence about taking him on our annual summer camping trips. You helped me decide that we can do it and it will be awesome. Thanks again!

I just stumbled upon this post as we’re taking our almost 2-year-old to Devil’s Lake in a couple months. I love it. Thank you so much!
Could you please let me know where to get information on the horseback riding? Would you recommend it?

My son and I are going to the Great Smoky Mountains for his second birthday. I am so excited. I knew it would be a challenge as a single mom, but that’s not going to stop me from enjoying life with my son!

We are about to take 19 mos old Jane camping for the 4th time. We began when she was 8 mos old. We decided to just not be scared of it-to embrace what was ahead. She loved it and slept like a baby. Thank you for your narrative. Your son is a lucky boy!

I’ve heard Devil’s Lake is a lot of fun. I may try it out with some gfriends this summer.

i camped a lot when i was younger. Simple camping. Tent, sleeping back matches for fire!! Who cares about a toothbrush when you are a teenager in the woods having fun!
I have been wanting to take my toddler for a while now. One of my concerns was that we are vegetarian and what to cook! Thank you sooo much for posting your menu! Now i am going to go for sure with your menu in hand.
Thank you for taking the time to post. I can not wait to make awesome memories with my son.

Break your 3 normal main meals into 5 smaller portion sizes – morning, snack,
lunch, snack, dinner. Cucumber contains sterols which can help to lower cholesterol and prevent carbohydrates from converting to
body fat. When you’re about to start on your weight loss plan, it’s a good
idea to think about your end goal and chunk it
down into smaller goals.

Camping is easy if you are well planned. I have been camping with my kids as of 8 months old. They love it! I find the stackable cups and sand trucks to be essential in keeping them amused, as well as some crayons, paper and a coloring book each. All items used for camping are ONLY for camping so they don’t get to play with these “special toys” until then.

Even though your goal is just to lose 5 pounds in a week, you should be strict
with what you do so as not to inadvertently undo all your hard work for vegetarian
weight loss. In fact, I always suggest to those overweight vegetarians to keep to
a max of 4 pounds a week so you won’t suffer loose skin
post weight loss. When you’re about to start on your weight loss plan, it’s a good idea to think about your end goal and chunk it down
into smaller goals.

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I do consider all of the ideas you’ve introduced on your post.
They’re really convincing and can definitely work. Still, the posts are very quick for starters.
Could you please extend them a bit from subsequent time?
Thank you for the post.

Hi, I just wanted to say that you write beautifully! Informational text, while worth the read, usually are a drag. I enjoyed reading the entire article and I will certainly take some of your suggestions to our camping experience. Thank you!